A Field Trip to Yoseka Stationery

How is it September already?

To ease into the new season (back to school, autumn, and eventually the start of the holidays), let's go on a field trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn! There's a cute little shop there that I've visited a few times this year.

It's called Yoseka Stationery, the US branch of Yoseka originally founded in Taoyuan, Taiwan. A young, kind-hearted, stationery-obsessed couple (Neil and Daisy) opened it in 2017, "As a way of introducing Asian stationery to the US."

Just as the sign outside announces, Yoseka Stationery promises everything a stationery lover desires! 

Look! Shelves and surfaces filled with notebooks, pens, stickers, washi tape, writing paper, and really lovely office supplies. 

They also have the highly coveted Traveler's Company notebooks and accessories, as well as the Hobonichi Planners (they even celebrated Hobonichi Day recently). 

I just love the shop decor -- a nod to the analog and old school way of life.

At the center is a long table where you can test all kinds of pens and notebooks to help you narrow down your choices (or encourage the attitude, "I'll buy it all!"). If there's one form of relaxation for me, it's testing out pens and pencils! 

Just by the entrance is a table where you can try out stamps and ink pads, as well as special self-inking stamps if you're into collecting them in a notebook (like they do in Japan).

Every so often, they offer special events like a stationery swap and classes (I'll tell you about the one I attended in a future post). 

This is one of my purchases, a Leuchtturm1917, which I'm using as my bullet journal for the last quarter of 2023...TADA!

If you are ever in New York City, make Yoseka Stationery one of your stops. It will turn your day from blah to TADA! You can also check out their on-line shop and fun YouTube Channel where they talk about stationery!

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A Handmade Thank You Card

Howdy everyone!

I came across a thoughtful quote: "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

Isn't it true? We should say thank you on a regular basis, verbally or in simple gestures like gifts and thank you cards. 

Today, I'm making a thank you card using this chocolate packaging. It was a gift from a friend living in North Carolina. The chocolate was yum-yum-yummy (I'm sorry I didn't leave any to share...ooops)! 

The packaging is pretty and the paper is textured, of high quality and with a graceful die-cut. Of course I had to save it for crafting purposes.

I painted it with a soothing shade called "Pool Blue."

I painted the front and back side using two coats.  

When the paint was dry, I took out a sponge and a darker shade of blue paint.

I applied the new paint color with the sponge to come up with these cloud-like patterns.

I did the same on the other side.

As an added flourish, I stamped on some little stars (using a craft stamp and blue ink pad) and applied some glitter glue in the shape of little dots. 

Using the same technique, I decorated a plain piece of cardstock (cut to fit the envelope) and added the word "Thanks."

All I need to do is to personalize the card and send it on its way to a kind friend.

And that is how I turned an empty chocolate box from blah to TADA!

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Crafting with Tea

Hey guys!

Tea is a favorite drink of mine and it's no surprise that I include it in my crafty projects. Let me show you some of them: 

I love to bake and this recipe for Earl Grey Yogurt Cake is infused with tea flavor...TADA! I've experimented with different teas like a fruity ginger peach and this warm Christmas Tea.

I painted an empty cardboard tea box and made it into a purse for a little girl...TADA! She can store her treasures here like dolls and hair clips and found seashells.

I turned empty tea envelopes into tiny gift bags...TADA! They can be used as tags, to wrap tiny presents or to use as seating cards.

I transformed a tea tin into a recipe box...TADA! It's where I store recipe cards that are either handwritten or free at the supermarket.

I even used spent tea bags to dye lace and other fabrics to give it a sepia tone...TADA! This piece of lace became a headband.

Influenced by an artist I follow on Instagram, I tried her method of painting on tea bags. 

Here's how I did it: Save a used tea bag after you've made your tea. Let this dry overnight. Once dry, cut open one end of the bag and empty the contents (add this to the compost pile). Lay the tea bag on paper (to absorb any paint) and make a sketch (I made these pansies). Then slowly color the sketch with watercolor paint. The tea bag resembles a very thin version of watercolor paper.   

I tried painting this pair of koi fish, too. I thought it's a cool idea to repurpose used tea bags this way. I do need to practice more control with the paint (or use less water) since the paper isn't as absorbent as what I'm used to.

You should see what the artist, Ruby Silvious, can make:

via Ruby Silvious

via Ruby Silvious

via Ruby Silvious

Aren't they beautiful? She creates effortlessly arresting art out of tea bags! You can see more of Ruby Silvious' work here and I even wrote an article about her here.

These are just some ways we can transform tea and its packaging from blah to TADA! 

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Bible Journaling and Hand Lettering

So lovely that you are here!

For me, making art is meditation. Making art is also a way to pray and to record God's messages for me. In a previous post, I wrote about Bible Journaling. It's where you write down your reflections with drawings and scrapbooking on an actual Bible. That felt a little too rebellious for me. That's why I came up with this:

These are just cards on a string but it works like a scrapbook, sketchbook, and journal.

The cards are made from recycled cardboard. I turned food boxes, tissue boxes and other cardboard packaging from blah to TADA!

These are quotes that pop out from my daily Bible readings and devotional reflections. Surprisingly, these appear when I need assurance or when I ask for a sign. I collect them here and flip through them regularly so that I may be reminded of God's wisdom and power. 

I typically use mixed media like scrapbook paper, stickers, rubber stamps and an ink pad to turn the blank page from blah to TADA!

But I wanted to use some hand lettering -- an excuse to practice and to play with these pens a dear friend sent me.

I start by cutting a piece of cardboard into this tag shape and punch a hole on top.

Then I make some lines with a ruler and a pencil. These will keep my letters straight.

I first write the quote in pencil, taking note of spacing and where to add flourishes. Then I trace over the letters with ink. I darken the downstrokes and make sure each letter is legible. Then I let the ink dry for several minutes and erase all the pencil lines and marks. I use a clean paintbrush to dust off the eraser residue straight into the trash bin.

To add more life, I use watercolor.

Here are some of the other ones I made:

That's how I turned plain cardboard from blah to TADA! using materials that I already had on hand.

I included the pages to my Bible Journal and will continue to add more pages in the years to come.

I hope this has encouraged you to make something nice for yourself and remember:“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

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A Farmer's Market-inspired Gift Bag

What a pleasure to see you!

Today, I am inspired by the farmer's market:

Produce of every kind and color

Plants, flowers and little potted succulents

Fresh ingredients to turn into meals

Apples to eat as is or put into a pie

Tiny tomatoes to add to a salad

Peaches to grill or make into jam

A trip to the farmer's market brings me so much joy! That is why I'm using what I've seen in today's craft.

 

This is an empty bag of cookies. As you've seen in my past projects such as biscuit and mint tins, tea and pasta boxes, I like to save the packaging and turn them from blah to TADA! 

Just by painting the bag and gluing on balloon cutouts, it now has new life as a gift bag...TADA!

I used the same technique on another bag -- I covered it with three coats of yellow acrylic paint (allowing the paint to dry in between). 

Then I sketched some fruits and veggies, the same ones I saw at the farmer's market.

I used a mix of watercolor and gouache to add color, light and shade.

A handmade gift bag that I can fill with baked treats or hostess gifts -- that's how I turned an empty cookie bag from blah to TADA!

I hope your day trips will inspire you to make something for you and for all you love. If you'd like more ideas like this, please subscribe here.